


the two-part deception

by bluetempest



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:53:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23025094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluetempest/pseuds/bluetempest
Summary: A mischievous smile drew on his face and Hilda realized she was no longer looking at Claude, the class leader, but Claude the troublemaker.“Oh Hilda, I believe our dear teach’s crush is requited.”And a smile matching his own rose on Hilda’s face.
Relationships: Golden Deer Students & My Unit | Byleth, My Unit | Byleth/Seteth
Comments: 10
Kudos: 139





	1. Part One

It all started on a sunny day, in front of the houses’ classrooms in Garreg Mach Monastery. 

In hindsight, what should have alerted Byleth to anything being amiss was Hilda sitting in the grass, her legs crossed, head in her hands, elbows resting on her knees. That is, if Byleth had not been solely focused on the person currently lecturing her about some academy protocol she had been ignorant of. It was a perfect example of how much being teacher had changed her, in a few short months; as a mercenary, she would have never been caught unaware of everyone and everything in her surroundings. Being aware at all times was what had kept her alive.

However, today was Hilda’s lucky day. The pink-haired girl was surprised she had evaded her dear teacher’s gaze for so long, but she was not one to complain when things worked in her favour. In front of her was playing a scene that was the absolute proof of what she had suspected for a while now, and she was storing every little detail in her memory to narrate to Marianne later on. Hilda had had no clue such a little, simple exchange could hold so much information. Her teacher was being more and more expressive each day, proof playing out right in front of her eyes. How lucky she was, so much so that she forgot she was sitting outside, where anyone could see her, and not only her teacher. 

A hand touched her shoulder, and she startled. Looking up, she saw Claude, towering above her, grinning. Of course he was _grinning_. He was going to mess everything up. 

“Claude!” she whispered with as much strength as she could muster, while preserving some semblant of discretion. “You _cannot_ scare a lady as fragile as I like this!”

“Hilda, you and I both -”

“Shh, if you’re going to bother me, at least have the decency to sit down before you ruin everything.”

Surprisingly, Claude did as she instructed. Glancing at the professor, she let out a sigh of relief. They had not been spotted. She turned to Claude, who now had his gaze fixed toward the same direction as she did a few seconds before. He had his very typical inquisitive glimmer in his eyes, and she could hear his mind working it all out. Then finally, he turned to her.

“Now Hilda, why in Fodlan are you spying on our dear teach and church man over there?”He raised an eyebrow.

She rolled her eyes. “Do not pretend you don’t see it too.” 

“If by _it_ , you mean two members of the faculty having a perfectly normal conversation, then of course I do. Why it would be of any interest to you, however, escapes me.” 

“Claude, I swear-”

“Fine, fine! _Of course_ I see it. It is so obvious, I wonder why no else seems to have noticed it yet.”

“We’re just too smart.” Hilda wiggled her eyebrows and Claude chuckled. 

“Since when?” He asked her. 

“Since when have I realized the professor has a crush on Seteth? Last week, in the dinner hall. You?”

“Two weeks ago, while Lady Rhea was talking to her and her eyes did not leave him for one -” Stopping abruptly, he gave her a pat on the knee, silently asking her to turn towards him and he did the same. 

“Did we get caught?” She asked.

“I don’t think so.” 

At the corner of his eye, Claude saw his teacher and Seteth part ways without a glance at them. Or at least, he saw Byleth leave towards her room with Seteth looking after her until she turned a corner and was not longer visible. A mischievous smile drew on his face and Hilda realized she was no longer looking at Claude, the class leader, but Claude the troublemaker. 

“Oh Hilda, I believe our dear teach’s crush is requited.” 

And a smile matching his own rose on Hilda’s face. 

* * *

“Lysithea, _please_.”

“No. I will not be a part of whatever scheme you and Claude are planning. I have more important things to do.” The youngest of the Golden Deer was sitting on her bed, arms crossed.

Hilda tried her signature look, the one that always got people to do what she was asking of them, to no avail. Her friend was immune, and definitely not impressed. She was, however, their best hope to achieve their marvellous plan, and Hilda was not about to give up. 

“You’re the only one who can do it, Lysithea.”

“Why?” She replied, raising an eyebrow. 

“Coming from me or the others, the request would not sound serious. He’d catch on quick.”

A small smile rose on Lysithea’s face. _There_ . Hilda almost had her. She considered Lysithea like a little sister (not that she would ever that to her face, _ever_ ) and after a few months, she started to understand how the younger one worked. 

“Think of all the training you would get out of this.” Hilda added, when Lysithea did not say a work. 

“ Well …”

“And I’m willing to throw in your favourite cake if that would help.”

Perfect. The spark in the white-haired girl’s eyes told Hilda everything she needed to know. She would do it, and the plan would be in motion. She got confirmation when Lysithea extended her hand, which she shook.

“You have a deal.” 

* * *

The next day, Claude went with Lysithea to the offices of the faculty. He knew for a fact that his professor barely spent any time there, usually preferring the outside to train or even think. The setting would also add to the formality of the request, and Lysithea’s own seriousness would take them the rest of the way. 

After all, he was sure she was looking forward to more training. 

When they arrived in front of the office, Claude leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. 

“Here we go” he said with a wink.

Lysithea rolled her eyes and knocked on the door. 

“Come in!”

She pushed the door open and closed it behind her right away, blocking Claude’s way of knowing exactly what was going on in the room. On purpose. 

“Ah Lysithea, hello. What can I do for you?” Seteth asked, from his desk.

“The professor asked me if I could pass on a request to you.” 

“Oh?” He tilted his head slightly to the side. 

“She’s very busy so I volunteered.”

“And what might that request be?”

“She saw the training practice you organized for Dimitri’s class, and she was wondering if there was a way you would be able to put one together for us as well? She said it looked very realistic, and that the setting would definitely help in real combat situation.” 

“I see. High praise indeed from a former mercenary.” He said thoughtfully. 

“So, what should I tell the professor?” Lysithea asked, impatient. 

She _wanted_ that opportunity. Yes, it was all part of some scheme by Hilda and Claude, but she was more focused on what she could gain and learn if he agreed. She had heard the Blue Lions talk about it in the dinner hall, and she wanted to experience it too. And also, cake. She had no time to waste. 

Seteth stood up, and walked towards the door. 

“I will work out the details with your professor, but I would be more than happy to.”

“Yes!” She smiled, excited. 

Seteth chuckled at her reaction and opened the door, coming face to face with Claude.

“Claude, I assume you were here with Lysithea?”

“Of course, I told the professor I would accompany Lysithea when she volunteered, but you know Lysithea. She insisted on doing it on her own.” 

He ignored the glares he got from Lysithea. 

“As expected from our youngest student. Where is your professor right now?”

“Teach? She was helping Lorenz and Marianne with lance practice when we left. The whole class is on the training grounds to practice, so she has her hands full.” 

“And I suppose you will both rejoin them now?”

Without an answer, Lysithea left ahead of them, answering his question without words. Claude guessed in her step that she was eager to prove that she was strong. That was generally her reaction whenever anyone mentioned the fact she was the youngest student in the entire academy and she happened to catch wind of it. 

“Very well, I will go with you. It will give me a chance to observe you and see what I need to prepare for your class.” 

“Were you not busy with anything?” Claude asked, looking forward walking down the corridor. 

“Nothing urgent Claude.” was the short answer he got in return from Seteth. He almost chuckled. Something told him that even if Seteth had been caught up in very important paperwork specifically requested by Rhea, his answer would have been the exact same one. 

* * *

Claude and Hilda were sitting next to each other in the front row of the Golden Deer classroom. Lorenz had assumed his usual spot, not without glancing at the two of them with suspicion. Claude and Hilda had done their best to ignore him, but as if the tension had been too much for him to handle, Lorenz had stood up again and was now, in front of them with his arms crossed against his chest. 

“What can we do for you Lorenz?” Hilda asked with her most beautiful smile. 

Lorenz almost lost sight of this intention, and Claude laughed internally. 

“No.” Lorenz replied. “You’re not getting away with this. You two are plotting something, I’m sure of it.” 

“Are you now, Gloucester?” Claude sat up straighter, his head tilting to the side. 

Lorenz rolled his eyes. “You may think you’re so clever at fooling people when it comes to your little schemes, _Von Riegan_ , but you’re not fooling me.” 

“I’m sure I have no idea what you mean.” 

“Lorenz, we were simply talking, you should not worry yourself like this.” Hilda added. “This stress cannot be good for you.”

“Oh no, you were not. I know your duo well enough by now not to fall for this. Whatever it is you’re planning, stop it.” 

At that moment, Byleth arrived in the classroom, as if carried by a storm, and Lorenz sat back down quicker than the wind. His teacher’s hair was even more disheveled than usual, and she was stressed. _Stressed_. Byleth had started showing more and more emotions as the months passed by, but never had Claude seen her like this. She placed herself behind her desk, hands flat on its surface, and looked at them before her eyes settled on Lysithea. 

_Oh no._

“Miss Von Cordelia, next time you require additional training, I would ask that you come to me first, instead of going directly to Seteth. Imagine my surprise when he came to our lesson yesterday to plan a class training exercise?”

Claude had expected his teacher to be so lost in conversation with Seteth and planning that she would forget about how he even came to her with this. He did not know how to feel about this: either he had overestimated the extent of their relationship, or he had underestimated Byleth when it came to be aware of everything, always. Neither of these options sat well with him.

“Sorry teach, that was my idea. Dimitri was talking about how well it went for the Blue Lions the other day during dinner, and well. I wanted to show him up. I’m competitive?” He gave her his best apologizing look. Lysithea was glaring at Hilda. 

“Good, Claude. Hold on to that competitive mind of yours, because we cannot fail this exercise. Am I making myself clear?”

Everyone nodded, some much more reluctantly than others. Claude sighed. He could feel Lorenz staring at him angrily, and Marianne shuttering at the idea of even more fighting.

Fine, this plan had failed. He would learn from this, and the next plan would be _foolproof_. 

* * *

The next phase of the plan, if you could call it that, was not foolproof: it was unexpected. It was a plan, made in the span of a few seconds, with one goal in mind: deescalate a situation. Claude and Hilda only realized what they had done fit with their end goal a few hours later, when the dust had settled. 

The Golden Deer house had gone on a mission, bandits terrifying the monastery’s surrounding woods. After the last few months, it was nothing out of the ordinary for them. Had they been worried? No. Had they been careful? Of course. Byleth never let them be anything but careful and focused during missions. There was no room for mistakes, she had told them over and over again. 

But for the first time since she had assumed her teaching position, two students had been really injured.

Marianna and Ignatz had caught a stray arrow and fireball, and were now lying down in the infirmary. They were conscious, and their injuries was nothing Manuela could not fix. The whole class was standing in the room, despite Manuela’s adamant request that they let her do her job _in peace_. Byleth had opted for pacing in the corridor, hands running on her face, trying to erase the worry and guilt from her brows to no avail. 

Claude was standing near the doorway and had a prime seat to her worrying from the small gap in its opening. Manuela had tried to tell her it was fine, that Ignatz and Marianne would be perfectly okay after a few hours. Themselves had told Byleth it was not her fault, no one could have predicted the event. The entire class had then pitched in, trying to ease her guilt because no one blamed her. Not a single soul in this room. Nothing had worked, and Claude started to worry nothing would. 

Hilda came to stand with him, glancing at the corridor. 

“You know, “ she said, “I’m thinking I should go and get Seteth.” 

“Why?” Claude asked.

“Maybe _he_ would be able to calm her down.” 

He thought for a few seconds, then realized Hilda was right. He probably would be able to stop her from pacing like this, make her believe none of this was her fault. He nodded.

“Do it.” 

Hilda went to squeeze Marianne’s hand, whispering to her for a minute. Marianne smiled and nodded her understanding. Then the pink-haired girl left the room quietly. 

It was not in Hilda’s habit to purposefully seek out the faculty, and she could read the surprise on Seteth’s face when she peeked her head in the doorway of his office.

“Miss Goneril? Is something wrong?” He asked, 

“Actually yes.” She started. “It’s the professor.” She had Seteth’s full attention now. “Ignatz and Marianne got hurt, nothing too bad, Professor Manuela is already taking care of it and they’ll be fine but… The professor won’t stop pacing. She thinks it’s her fault, and none of us have been able to help. Maybe there is something you could do?”

“How do you reckon?” He genuinely asked. 

“Well, with the way you calm people usually…’

He raised an eyebrow.

“You know, the no-coddling, direct approach? That might work better with the professor.” 

He appeared to ponder her words for a few seconds before setting down his quill and nodding.

“I’ll be right down.” 

Hilda nodded, and hurried back downstairs where she found Byleth had not stopped pacing. When they first met their new professor, she had seemed distant, almost emotionless. It was like she was there, going through the motions of her new job but did not care. They were just a stop on her journey, because her father had been dragged back here. 

In that moment though, Hilda’s feeling that the teacher had thoroughly and deeply changed was even more present. Byleth cared. She cared so much she did not know what to do with these new emotions. 

Hilda slipped back into the room, nodded to Claude and sat back on the side of Marianne’s bed. 

“Byleth.”

The voice that echoed in the corridor stopped her in her tracks. She raised her eyes and was met by what she had determined was Seteth’s worried look. How did he even know she was down here? They had hurried to the infirmary as soon as they’d set foot on monastery ground, and she was sure she would have known if he had been there. 

After a few seconds, he moved closer to her, eyes fixed on hers. Her breathing was erratic, and she struggled to keep the eye contact. Dealing with all these new emotions flooding her was not something she was great at. 

“What happened?”

“Marianne and Ignatz got hurt, because of me.”

“How are you sure it’s your fault?” 

“They were not ready. I’m their teacher for fuck’s sake, I should have done better. Told them to take cover, have a better formation ...” 

“Stop.” He said firmly, and it effectively cut her train of thoughts short. “Have you ever gotten hurt on a mission before?” 

“Yes.” 

“Have you ever blamed your father, the one who taught you, for those injuries? Was it because of mistakes he did?”

“No.” 

“There. You have your answer.” 

Byleth nodded. That made sense, and she hated it. She hated that he was right, she hated that she had not managed to handle her emotions herself, she hated that it had taken him to add some sense to these feelings and yet … She loved that he was here. His presence itself grounded her in a way she had never thought possible. 

They stood there for a while. without words. 

“Do you want … ?” Seteth started to ask, and confusion was obvious in his eyes. But then, he raised his arms in front of him, the rest of the question in the tilt of his head. 

Byleth could not say she was the hugging type. But in this moment, she could not help being drawn into his arms. She settled her arms around his waist, head on his chest. A second later, she felt his arms surround her and his head sit above hers. 

“Thank you.” She whispered. 

“Anytime.” 

_And then, the whole story shifted._


	2. Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth kissed his cheek.  
> “You’re going to get a laugh out of this, aren’t you?”  
> Seteth didn’t say a word, but she could read his answer all over his face.

It all changed on a rainy day, in a room at Garreg Mach Monastery. 

What had started as a weekly occurrence between two professors who were trying to find common ground and figure out how they felt had become a daily tradition neither of them wanted to miss. 

If you had told Byleth when she first arrived at Garreg Mach how much would change in her life and within herself, she would not have believed a single word. She had arrived, and saw this experience as a momentary step in the journey her father and her were on, wherever it was leading them. It had always been them against the world, and never had she pictured a life where it was not the central pillar guiding her every day. 

And yet, here she was: settled as a professor, and doing a good job of it too. Her students were learning and growing; and she had grown in the process as well, feeling more and more until suddenly, the Golden Deer had become part of her family. A family that she was grateful for each day. And a family that had a new member, a secret part of her heart that she was not ready to share yet with the world; unknown to her had been the feelings that had blossomed in her heart and after months of trying to piece them together, the picture was clear now. 

_Love._

The door of the office opened, and Seteth came in holding two steaming mugs of tea. Their small early morning tradition had begun as a single conversation where Seteth had tried to learn more about her. At the time, she knew it was simply because she was an unknown person who had suddenly become a teacher. Now, however, everything was different. 

Byleth stood up from the small sofa at the side of the office and met him halfway, grabbing one of the mugs which was almost overflowing. She gave him the smallest smile and she was greeted by a small kiss. Seteth made his way to his desk while she settled down on the sofa again.

“I walked past Claude and Hilda on my way from the kitchen.” He said.

“Let me guess: they were huddling like two conspirators planning yet another half calculated plan?” 

“If you were to add the very intense stares they threw my way, you’d be completely right.” 

Byleth chuckled. Yet another change she had gone through the last few months; she had never chuckled in her life, and the first time it had happened, she thought something was wrong with her. But no, it has just been one of the feelings she had discovered along her path as a teacher. And really, what other reaction could she have to her Golden Deer and their incessant scheming? They believed they were so sneaky but they seemed to underestimate her ability to be hyper aware of everything in her surroundings. 

She shook her head and sighed.

“What are they planning now? And which one of their classmates are they going to rop into their scheme this time?” 

Seteth smiled, the smile she had come to realize was only meant for her. It never failed to warm her heart. And she loved the smirk that replaced it shortly after; she had discovered he also had a mischievous side. 

“From the quick glances they threw at your bedroom door, I would wager they are trying to determine if you are the one I am having tea with every morning.”

“Of course they are. _Of course._ They’re unstoppable.” 

“And to answer your earlier question, Claude and Hilda managed to enlist the help of Raphael this time along with Marianne.” 

Byleth rolled her eyes. 

“Raphael tried to talk to me about my morning plans while I was in the kitchen getting the tea, but his questions were too obvious.”

“Alright, at least now I know I need to teach them about discretion even outside the battlefield when trying to get information.” 

“And I ran into Marianne on my way back. She offered to help carry the mugs to wherever I was going so they wouldn’t overflow.” He added. 

Byleth looked at the time. 

“To be fair, it’s far more likely that it was Marianne on her way to the church and just wanting to be kind and helpful.” Byleth said. 

“You’re right.”

Seteth signed a paper on his desk and closed his ledger. He stood up, set his mug on the small table in front the sofa and joined her. She curled up her legs under herself and settled against his side almost instinctively. His arm wrapped around her shoulders. 

“They have no idea, do they?” He asked.

“No clue at all.” 

This time they both laughed. Everything had changed after the corridor incident. An underlying feeling they had tried to figure out individually clicked together. 

But it had all truly begun right in this office, a few days later. He had brought tea, as he did everytime they had to meet in the morning, but this time was different. They had not put a word on it, but they were aware this was not a professional meeting. Byleth wanted to talk to him about what had happened, to apologize, and suddenly she had found herself talking about everything that had changed for her, every new feeling she didn’t know how to deal with, including this one. The one she felt for him. Seteth had listened, not interrupting her, focused solely on her. After she was done, he had offered his hand which she took without hesitation. All he said was _“I haven’t felt it in what it seems to be forever”_ and looking at each other, they had understood they were speaking of the same feeling, the same truth they had stumbled upon unexpectedly.

What had happened next would forever stay in the privacy of their hearts and minds. But that day had changed everything. They had decided to keep what they had a secret, from the students but especially from Rhea. With her secrets, her schemes she shared with no one, not even Seteth, they were uncertain what her reaction would be. She hid truths from Byleth about who she was and not even Seteth had been able to uncover them. She was hiding so much, the trust he had put in Rhea was slowly fading and they could not even begin to imagine what she would do.

So this feeling was theirs, for the moment. 

After that day, however, the little schemes her Golden Deer created had not stopped. Seteth and her had figured out her students were to be credited for some of the situations they had found themselves in, and Byleth could not be surprised. She had chosen the Golden Deer after all, and part of her had known this was who they were. This morning was one of those situations. 

“They’re not going to let it go.” Seteth said, kissing the top of her head. 

“You know them. Something would need to happen to make them reevaluate their position on the matter.” 

“Most definitely.”

They were silent for a minute, before Byleth turned her head upward to meet his gaze. His eyes found hers and his little smirk had returned. 

“You have an idea.” She said matter of factly. 

“Well, if you want them to stop, the simplest way would be to hate me.” 

She raised an eyebrow, slowly piecing together what he was implicitly saying. They could definitely turn the tables on her students, and reclaim a bit of quiet in the process. Thinking about their initial meeting and relationship, it wasn’t difficult to believe they would go back to being distant and quite annoyed at each other. 

“Would you be in?”

“Of course.” He nodded. “I’m curious to see their reactions.”

Byleth kissed his cheek. 

“You’re going to get a laugh out of this, aren’t you?”

Seteth didn’t say a word, but she could read his answer all over his face. Unlike what most people believed, he did have a sense of humour and once in a while, indulged in some fun. While she had discovered she also enjoyed a bit of mischief sometimes, she loved that side of him. 

“Then it’s settled. I’ll let you know how it goes.” 

This time, he met her lips in a longer, slower kiss. It was the last moment of calm before their official morning began. 

* * *

Byleth met the Golden Deer in their home room, right on time. Walking the path between their desk, she quickly said hello to them before settling behind her desk. Lindhardt, who had joined her class very recently, sat at the back and she did not expect him to wake up for another hour. Leonie had, as usual, claimed the front row, to soak up as much knowledge as she could. She was joined in this endeavour by Lysithea on the other side of the classroom. Marianne and Ignatz sat quietly on the second row, their books opened in front of them. Raphael was right behind them, finishing his breakfast. And on her right, behind Lysithea, were the biggest conspirators of her class: Claude and Hilda. They had stopped their whispering as she had entered the classroom, surely talking about what they had witnessed this morning. Lorenz sat, towering behind them, most likely trying to figure out what they were planning or as a way to stop their scheming all together. It was ineffective. 

“How was your morning teach?” Claude asked her. 

A question innocent enough in any other context. She tilted her head. 

“What Claude means, “ Hilda started, “is how was your meeting with Seteth?” 

“I did not have a meeting with Seteth this morning.” She replied dryly. 

“Are you certain?” Claude tried, still holding much of his certainty. 

“I am quite sure I did not replace my own father in his usual morning meeting with Seteth, Claude. How else could Seteth try, however discreet he believes he is, to dig up knowledge about me?” Annoyance and small dose of anger was now radiating off of her. 

“Oh.” Was the Alliance’s heir simple response. 

Byleth stood up, hands flat on her desk. Hilda instantly lost some of her confidence, and she started playing absentmindedly with one of her pens. Claude was confused. 

“That is your first lesson for today. If you want to uncover some knowledge about someone by talking to the one person they are closest too, do try to be discreet. If you’re not, the person will most likely realize your little scheme and simply tell whoever you were trying to know more about. You can all learn from Seteth’s rookie mistake.” 

Leonie almost instantly raised her hand in question. 

“Yes, Leonie?” 

“How would you do it, then? Do you have any advice?” 

“My advice would be to be patient, not ask every question you have at once. Getting information, especially from people, is a long game. A little bit here and there will go a long way, believe me. And definitely don’t go directly to the biggest source of information you know of. Be subtle, go around, even it it’s longer. Discretion and subtlety are the keywords here.”

Leonie nodded vehemently, taking notes. Most of them were. Byleth sat back down, but not without trying to drive the point home with Claude and Hilda. 

“Not that the man would know the meaning of either of these words, nor would he learn to leave well enough alone.” She muttered, quietly enough that only Lysithea, Claude and Hilda heard. Lysithea was too focused to pay any mind to it, but the last two quickly exchanged glances, and Byleth smiled internally. 

* * *

Of course, that was not enough. Byleth had narrated this moment to Seteth, who had laughed with her. But they were aware of how strong-minded her students were, and one little exchange would not achieve their goal. So every few days, for almost a month, they made a point to convey their distance and disdain for each other in front of the Golden Deer.

The first time was when Rhea had assigned her class a new mission for the month. Byleth was with the students in their classroom, strategizing, trying to plan the best offense and defense in the situation they would be facing. They were in the middle of correcting a few points, using mistakes they had made in the past, when Seteth strolled into the room. Byleth turned to him, the coldest gaze she could muster drawn on her face.

“What can we do for you?” She asked severely. 

“Nothing at the minute.” Seteth stood against a desk, arms crossed and staring at their board with condescension. “I’m just trying to see if you can manage this mission on your own.” 

Byleth’s fists tightened at her side and all the students stopped talking at once. Their focus had shifted from the board to the confrontation in front of them. 

“And what exactly makes you think we can’t?” 

“No need to get defensive Professor.” He shook his head with a patronizing grin. If Byleth didn’t know it was an act, she might have thrown him out of her room right this instant. “I just know you are still quite new at this, and I wanted you to know I am here if you need guidance.” 

All her students were now looking right at him with looks of disbelief writing on their faces. Shock was even visible on Claude and Hilda’s faces. Good. 

“Well, while it is appreciated, we have work to do on the training field. I’m sure I’ll be able to find your office, if I need any _guidance_ as you put it. Now, if you’ll excuse us?” 

“Of course. My door is open is open if you need anything.” He said as he turned around and left the room. 

“Right, if I don’t go to slam that door in your face on principle.” She whispered standing in the middle of her students. 

None of them made any comment. Until Lysithea asked:

“Are we really going to train in the field now?” 

“Absolutely not. Your plan is still way too shaky right now.” was Byleth’s answer.

* * *

Then there were the small, quiet but seemingly heated arguments they had in the courtyard. No one ever heard what they were about, but they always ended with Seteth rolling his eyes at the sky and Byleth leaving angrily. There was Byleth closing the door of their classroom loudly anytime she saw Seteth heading even slightly their way. They crossed paths in the corridor and ignored each other completely, or so the students thought. She refused everytime he offered her help with anything in public, but accepted later in private when she needed it. 

Slowly, Claude and Hilda stopped staring. They were still conspiring, but Byleth was certain it was not about her and Seteth anymore. She had walked past them one afternoon, and caught a few moments of their conversation.

“I think we made it worse.” Hilda had said.

“They’re not meant to get along, clearly.” Claude had added. “They went right back to how they were before.”

“It’s sad. But I’ll find someone else for the teacher someday.” 

Claude had shook his head at a grinning Hilda, and Byleth had continued her way, out of earshot.

They had their peace and quiet back. Their feelings were theirs to navigate. And one day, they would have to tell people, especially Flayn. But for now, it was their secret, their happiness. They would see what the future held. And at least, in the meantime, they'd had a little laugh. 


End file.
